The Corpse, the Witch, and the Boogieman
by Artemis Blue
Summary: First fanfic ever mixing Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas! When Liz meets the Corpse Bride and they witness an abusing of a friend, who could Liz tell? Would she tell the secret even when Barkis, Oogie and Val kidnap her? Chapter 7 is up!
1. Prologue: Meet Liz

**The Corpse, the Witch, and the Boogieman**

"Author's note: I don't claim any legal rights to the Nightmare before Christmas, or the Corpse Bride, but I will claim rights to my own characters and items in the story,  
and the fact I have a Jack Skellington doll. Oh, and this is my first time writing a story on fanfiction, so please review and tell me what you honestly think about it."

I remember the day they arrived into my town of Halloween. It's a pretty decent place to live, if you're a witch, ghost, goblin, ghoul, zombie, or any other Halloween creature. I'm a witch, but a very weird one.

I dress like a normal witch with my black witch's hat, my black dress with ripped edges, and my small, black boots. I also wore fishnet pantyhose, black and white striped stockings that reached up to my knee, a black belt, my black polo coat, and my personal favorite accessory, my completely black messenger bag. It's where I keep my school books for Jekyll High (the school I go to), my ingredients for potions, and my boa, constrictor, Slyther.

But I'm still a weird witch. A normal witch has green skin. My skin's as white as a vampire's. I don't know why my skin isn't green, but I'm sure about a couple of things.

I don't suck blood like a vampire (thank god), and the Boogie Boys made fun of me, and some other Halloweentown kids would join along with them. They're really nasty. In 1993, when I was two, they almost let Oogie Boogie kill Sandy Claws.

Anyway, they also made fun of me not only because my skin isn't green, but also because Jake and I are orphans. Jake's eight years older than me, and he was originally a warlock, but when he was thirteen, not long after our step-dad and our mom got killed off by a huge fire, a vampire bit him and now he's a vampire as well.

Since then, Valvira von Banesburg the vampire was after me, my younger half-sister, Abby (younger than me by three years), my older step-brother, Henry (older than me by eleven years), and my brother Jake.

Abby and I live with my step-uncle, Uncle Mark, who's a vampire, but I think I should go on and get this story all over with now.


	2. Chapter 1: Who Are They Waiting For?

"This is the First Chapter of this story, and this is the real beginning. So, please be completely honest when you read the latest part of this story."

Our Pumpkin King and Queen, Jack and Sally Skellington, and the Mayor were at Phantom Train Station 10/13 on Thursday, October 13th, 2005._ Who are they waiting for_? _It must be someone important, or they wouldn't be here at all. _

I was at the station for a report on the history of Halloweentown. This station's a very important one. It takes ghosts, skeletons and zombies who want to live in Halloweentown here. It's been there for as long as there was Halloween.

Well, anyway, as I sat on the bench of Phantom Station 10/13, the Mayor's face became a worried one, and he was pacing back and forth. "Why is it taking so long?" he complained. Usually, the Mayor didn't complain, but this was an exception. Jack checked his watch. It was old fashioned, and unlike anyone else in this town, I want some new things around here. But the other Halloweentowners didn't want their world to be like a human's. I don't know why, but I guess they just don't like them. "Odd." he said, "The watch stopped. I guess either the train must be slow, or this watch needs to be fixed." _Who were they expecting?_ While I was writing notes about the station, I spotted a newsstand. Maybe I can get a magazine while I wait.

There was an old newsstand at the ticket booth of PTS 10/13. Sure it had some old magazine issues, but it was a good way to pass the time. I picked up my notebook and started walking towards the newsstand. It wasn't that far. It was just four feet away from my bench. I pretty much liked everything about this newsstand, even the person running it.

The person running it was a male were-cat. The were-cat's name was Cairo Mirosaki, but he lets everyone in Halloweentown call him Cairo. Anyway, Cairo wore an old, torn-up Oriental shirt made out of red silk with golden dragons painted on it. He also wore black ragged pants, and he didn't wear shoes. Were-cats or were-wolves don't need shoes, or I least I think they don't need shoes. Most of all, Cairo leaves his long, messy black hair down. Overall, he was some sort of a black Burmese were-cat. "Hello Cairo," I greeted him in my famous American accent, "What do you got in the newsstand today?"

Cairo was sorting out yesterday's magazines with today's issues. There weren't many magazines in this town, but at least it's better than nothing. The magazines here are the Underworld Times, Undead Music (my favorite magazine, since I'm an amateur musician), Scare Monthly, and the Daily Scream. Cairo looked up from his small, old newsstand and saw me. "Hello, Liz." he said eagerly, "So, what magazine would you like?" Cairo also had a Japanese accent, but enough about that. Anyway, I looked back at the front of the PTS, and I could see they're _still_ waiting for somebody. "I'd hate to bother you," I asked Cairo, "But what's our leaders doing?" Cairo looked at the same direction I looked. "You mean, the Pumpkin King, Pumpkin Queen and the Mayor?" he answered, "They're waiting for a skeleton of sorts, somebody called William Bonaggler, who seemed to prefer being called either Bony or Bonejangles, and they're waiting for a friend of his as well." _Who was this Bonejangles, and who's that guy's friend? Will they cause trouble for Halloweentown? _

As I was pondering over which magazine to buy (either Undead Music or the Underworld Times) I decided to ask more about this Bonejangles and his friend. "Who's Mr. Bonejangles?" I asked him. Cairo scratched his head as he cut a string on the box of the latest magazine issues. "Sorry, but I don't know much about Bonejangles." he said gravely, as he shook his head no, "All I know is that he's a skeleton with a bowler hat and one eye. Look into Undead Music for more information." _Hey, that's a great idea! _"I'll have the newest issue of Undead Music please!" Cairo took out Undead Music, Issue No. X, Vol. MCVXII from the box he just opened. He stood up and gave me the magazine.

"How many Halloween tokens do I have to pay?" I asked Cairo, as I was searching my messenger bag for my small sack of Halloween tokens. There were four kinds of tokens. I'll list them by least value to greatest value: copper, silver, white-gold, and gold. "It'll be 20 copper tokens." he said.

I fished out my small sack for twenty copper Halloween tokens. Copper Halloween tokens had a jack-o-lantern engraved on it, silver Halloween tokens had a skull and two cross-bones, white-gold Halloween tokens had a sliver of the moon, and gold Halloween tokens had a screeching black cat engraved on it. One copper token equals one cent, one silver token equals twenty-five cents, one white-gold token equals a silver dollar (a silver dollar equals fifty cents), and one gold token equals one dollar. I had only three copper tokens. I gulped. "Cairo?" I asked him, "Will it be good if I give you a silver token?" Cairo was a fair were-cat when it comes to business. So far, the only tokens he got were copper ones. So, he had lots of change to spare. Cairo didn't say anything. He just nodded his head. I gave him the silver token; he gave me Issue No. X, Vol. MCVXII of Undead Music, and five copper Halloween tokens.

"Thanks pal." I said. "Anytime!" Cairo replied. I sat down on the bench, and started flipping through the pages of the Undead Music Magazine. The first six pages were the table of contents, and news about the latest band in the Underworld, Screecher (the first band to introduce rock to the Underworld), and their debut album, Shattering of Hearts. Too bad I don't live in the Underworld.

Anyway, that didn't help me much. I decided to look into the table of contents again. This time, I searched carefully. Nope, not on the first ten pages. Then I spotted page twelve. It mentioned something about the disappearance of two musicians after a riot in a night club in the Underworld. Maybe it's Bonejangles and his friend. Just when I was about to read it, a train pulled into the station. I stood up, putting the magazine down. It might be them, but you could never be too sure about it.


	3. Chapter 2: An Embarrassing Meeting

The train has just pulled into the PTS 10/13 (Soul Train Station). I got up from the bench and walked up to the front of the platform. I was seeing a skeleton with one eye (the only part of him that didn't decay) and a bowler hat coming out of the passenger car, with a saxophone case in his right hand, and a suit-case in his left. But there was something creepy about him. He had a serious case of under-bite. His lower jaw was way out in front, much more than his upper jaw. I'm surprised how he was even able to talk that way.

The skeleton was followed out by a zombie. She looked quite pretty to tell you the truth. She wore a bride's dress, and as far as I can tell, the only three parts of her that were decayed were her left arm, the right side of her rib-cage, and her left leg. I don't know her name yet, but I already have a nick-name for her. I'll call her the Corpse Bride. She was holding a brown suitcase in her hand too and an old black carpet bag in her right. She set down the carpet bag and opened it up. A small, skeletal dog jumped out of it. It was wearing a red collar. I was surprised how they were able to stow pets onto this station. I thought no pets were allowed on the Phantom Train.

Well, anyway, Jack, Sally and the Mayor were greeting them. "It's so nice to see you again, Bonejangles!" greeted Jack, while he was shaking his hand. So the skeleton with the under bite_ was _Mr. Bonejangles!

I looked around the PTS, and I could see poor Cairo was hiding behind the newsstand. I could tell because his tail was sticking out of the right side of the old stand, and he was meowing like he was in great pain. I walked up to the poor guy. "What's the trouble?" I asked him. He was crouched down, had his face covered up with his arms, and he didn't look too happy. "I didn't know that skeleton's friend had a dog with him." he said whimpering and barely in a whisper, "You know how I _hate_ dogs. They chase me around all the time." _Just because someone has a dog, that doesn't mean I can't talk to them, or even let them stay at my uncle's house._ "I'll be greeting them if you need me." I told him, walking away to the front of the train platform. Cairo didn't say anything. He was still crouched down in the newsstand, and I highly doubt he was going to come out until the skeletal dog was gone.

But what should I talk about to the new residents? Mr. Bonejangles sure was creepy, and what if I was too unorthodox for the Corpse Bride? She seemed like a refined girl to me. But it won't be like I was talking to Dury, Sabs or Gav.

Dury's name was actually Durance Linehold, but he was too embarrassed by his actual name. Dury was a young, red-head vampire who had it very rough. He came from a poor family, and his parents were always fighting all the time. Whenever he tried to stop the arguing and fighting,his dadbeats him. All he wanted was to help them. Since then, he didn't talk much, because he thinks someone will hurt him if he said anything. Even though Dury never tells me about his troubles, I still know about it. He had bruises and cuts all over him.

Sabs (actual name is Sabek Karmun) was a mummy who was mute, but he had excellent hearing. He was able to hear what no one else hears. Sabs could hear the twiddling of a black widow spider's legs when it's spinning a web. Whenever you asked him about something, he'd quickly write his answer down on an available scrap of paper, and they were always accurate. Personally, I think Sabs was some sort of a nerd, but who cares about that? At least he knows how to have fun.

Gav (short for Gavin Quarry) was a deformed boy, and he was very proud of it. He'd go around at Jekyll high, without anything to hide his face, and brag about how he was the ugliest kid in school. It's easy to see where Gav got his hideous looks from. His parents were deformed themselves. Dury was 14, and so were Gav and Sabs. Yes, you could call me a tomboy, but I like them all. Maybe I could talk to them about my friends. Dury's troubles shouldn't go around unnoticed.

Damn! I can't think up a single thing to discuss with them. Maybe I _am_ so un-refined.

Well, anyway, I went up to the front of the station. The Corpse Bride was just getting her luggage. _Mind your manners, Liz, or you'll lose their trust._ "May I help ye with the luggage, maam?" I said, trying to be polite. She looked right at me. "Sure you can help me." she replied. Man, I really like this girl so far. Maybe I might introduce her to Henry.

Henry's my step-brother, who was three years older than Jake, who was twenty-two. Henry was a mad scientist and a doctor, who pretty much isolated himself, because he didn't think any women were good enough for him. That's because most of them weren't as bright as he was. I don't know why he said that, but that's just his lame excuse about why he's a bachelor. Jake's already married to Sasha Mussorgsky (a witch like me, only she has green skin but thankfully has no warts), and he's a couple of years younger than Henry!

Well, anyway, I was helping out the Corpse Bride with getting the rest of the luggage, when I _("AIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_) accidentally tripped over a skeletal dog. _Crash! _I crashed into Mr. Bonejangles. Good thing I didn't get on the train tracks from the tripping. I would've been killed. So, far, this is what I would call the most embarrassing day of my life. I meet the Corpse Bride, and I trip twice in a row right in front of her! What's more embarrassing than that?


	4. Chapter 3: A Strange Feeling

Oh, how my head is reeling! I was seeing witches on broomsticks, skeletal dogs, and bags of luggage swirling around me. I shook my head and I was back to normal at the floor of the platform of PTS 10/13.

The Corpse Bride, the skeletal dog, Jack, Sally and the Mayor were looking over me now. Bonejangles was on the floor as well, and had his jaw knocked out. I could tell he didn't look too happy. "Sorry about that." I said drowsily, "Some dog got in my way."

Bonejangles finally got up, picked up his bowler hat and adjusted his lower jaw. "Snaps should look where he's going." he said, "Since he's all bones, a lot of people trip over him." He and the Corpse Bride helped me up.

The Corpse Bride picked up Snaps, the skeletal dog. "I look like a dirty person, don't I?" I said to the Corpse Bride, "I trip over Snaps, or whatever you call him, and I knock down Mr. Bonejangles. You must think I'm the worst girl you ever saw, don't you?" Well, I thought it seemed that way. The Corpse Bride is a pretty person, and I go around embarrassing her in front of the Pumpkin King and Queen. I might as well go to Bloodnut County.

Bloodnut County's the only part of Halloweentown that Jack doesn't rule. Unlike Pumpkinhead County (where the heart of Halloweentown is), Bloodnut is a terrible place to go. Everywhere you look, you see someone robbed, raped, or murdered. That wasn't the worst part. They have slavery as well. Bloodnut was filled mainly of people who didn't want Jack to rule Halloweentown. But the worst part of Bloodnut is that Oogie Boogie ruled this place.

He's a major doof, and I've been told many legends about why Jack and Oogie never got along with each other. One reason was creative differences. Oogie wanted the scares to be gory and modern, while Jack wanted it to be old-fashioned and not gory at all. But the reason that was most popular was because Oogie was a murderer. He doesn't kill anyone in the flesh. He actually kills people in their dreams. I don't see how people in Bloodnut were able to trust Oogie.

"Actually, you're not." she said, "I've seen worse." I didn't know what she meant by the last sentence, but at least I'm not such a bad girl, even though I was a little clumsy. Maybe I could show her around this town. Little did I know that while I was talking, someone from Bloodnut was spying on us.

While we were talking, I knew someone was spying on us. He must be a Bloodnut or something. Anyway, this strange looking guy I spotted at the station was wearing a jet-black trench coat, jet-black sunglasses, a pair of black military boots, black ripped-up jeans, and he was wearing a completely black T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, along with metal military tags.

I could've sworn I saw a demon tail. But it went back into the trench-coat (it reached to his ankles). This guy had red hair, snow-white skin, and blue lips. I couldn't see who he really was, because his eyes were masked by his sun-glasses. Sun glasses aren't even legal in Halloweentown! It's all because they're modern. But strangely enough, I feel attracted to him.

He looked handsome, in a sinister sort of way. I think he was twenty-two or so, because he looked like he was related to Shockland Cinders, or as everyone else called her, Shock, a reformed Boogie Boy who was the same age as him, but I heard she was on the run from Oogie.

Anyway, the man was leaning against the wall, talking into some strange device that was called a cell-phone. "Just about to start Operation Blackmail, phase 1." he was saying, "But I'll work even faster if you give me the dough now while I'm doing your dirty work for you." From what I just heard, it must be Lockbury Cinders, or as everyone else called him, Lock. So far, it looked he's still one of the Boogie Boys. He was saying Operation Blackmail, and mentioned something about dirty work.

Lock was no longer a trick-or-treater, and neither were Shock or Barrel. He was a demon, Shock was a witch, and Barrel was pretty much a skeleton now, since I heard about his death for defying Oogie. But Lock still looked very attractive didn't he? Of course he does.

But he was eight years older than me. I'm falling for a bad boy who's nearly a decade older than me! Maybe Lock was a spy, maybe he wasn't. Just because Lock and the Boogie Boys weren't exactly the model halloweentowners, it doesn't mean they were bad guys.

Nine years ago, they saw Oogie's face in the moon, and they know it meant trouble. So, they went to the heads of the were-wolves, were-cats, vampires, witches and warlocks, ghosts, monsters, mummies, demons, and skeletons to warn them. The heads of the creatures I just mentioned were Count Dracula (a vampire), Pandora Kitty (a were-cat), Wolfie Freedman (a were-wolf), Grey Goulash (a ghost), Lucifer Morningstar (a demon), Brünnhilde (a witch) and Lieberkind Schwartzenheimer (a warlock), Jerry Swinger (an ugly monster), Seth Anurabi (a mummy), and Napoleon Bonaparte (a really short skeleton). None of them believed the Boogie Boys.

So Lock, Shock and Barrel didn't bother telling Jack or the Mayor about it, because they thought they wouldn't believe them.

That Halloween, there was a huge fire in my mom's shop of Halloween plants that spread to the Pumpkin Patch. I lost my mom and my step-dad from the fire. It was all because Dracula or the other leaders (with the exception of Jack, Sally and the Mayor) wouldn't believe them. Napoleon Bonaparte was the only leader caught. He was impeached and he went back to the Underworld in shame. I didn't want to remember that.

I shook my head. The Corpse Bride gave me a worried look. "Is something the matter?" she asked me worriedly. I just gave her a nervous smile and said, "Oh, nothing. Just a couple o' things on me mind, that's all." Just a couple of things on my mind! I should be honest with her! I'm having a very horrible flash-back right now, and trust me. It was a very disturbing memory, and it still haunts me since I was five.

Bonejangles and the Corpse Bride went away to talk to our leaders. I might not be as bad as I think. But I'm getting this very, very strange notion. The first thing was that someone was spying on us, and the second thing was that many things will go wrong this month, my third notion was that someone was going to be taken away from me, and my final notion was that the Corpse Bride and Bonejangles are keeping a huge secret.

I opened up my messenger bag. Slyther poked his head out of there. "They may not be what they sssssssseem." he hissed. Unlike other boa constrictors, Slyther had the ability to talk. I didn't hex him. He was always like that. "Slyther, there's nothing wrong with Bonejangles or the Corpse Bride!" I muttered back to him, as I started walking home from PTS 10/13, picking up my issue of Undead Music from the bench and stuffing it into my messenger bag. Slyther is a wise snake and all, but he could sometimes be pretty harsh. "They're new blood." he replied coolly, "Anyone new could be spiesssssssssssss." I rolled my eyes. _That's ridiculous! They didn't look like spies at all!_ But as I said before, Lock could be a spy. "Trust me." I argued with him, "Bonejangles or the Corpse Bride are not spies." Slyther may not be able to move his eyes, but I knew when he gets mad. "You will regret it, Lisssssssssssss." he said at last.

Anyway, I walked home with five pages about PTS 10/13 in my History notebook. It's nice to go walking, grab a crab apple on the way, smell the stench of mausoleums, and hear harmless screams. I promised Dury and Sabs I would meet them at Lake Eire with my report on PTS 10/13. Sabs was writing about the Halloween Cemetery, and Dury was writing about Guillotine Square, the heart of Halloweentown, where he lives. I'd better hurry if I want to include it in our report of Halloweentown, which is due next Thursday.

Lake Eire wasn't that far from PTS 10/13. It was just about at least ten miles north, and one mile east. I must be kidding myself! How can I get there before sun-down? Then, I realized something.

I had a broom with me. It wasn't just any broom. It was a magic broom that flies in the air on command. I whistled for it. My broom, the Odyssey 3000, appeared at once. The Odyssey 3000 has light-violet paint on it, and the rope holding the straw onto the broom-stick was royal blue. The words Odyssey 3000 was on the broom-stick in gold letters. The Odyssey 3000 goes about thirty miles an hour. I thought that was pretty fast.

"To Lake Eire, Odyssey!" I commanded. I hopped on, and I was off like a gun. Witches start flying broom-sticks when they were eleven, and it wasn't very easy. If you're up in the air and you lose your balance on a broom-stick, you fall way down to the ground, and you get some broken bones, and maybe even die. Trust me. It didn't look too pretty.

Anyway, I looked down onto the earth, searching for Lake Eire. It was an old lake with very dirty water. It was so filthy; all the dead fish are floating on it. You might think it's a terrible place to hang out, but to us halloweentowners, it's the opposite.

Right down below me, I spotted two small figures and a lake with fish floating on it. I drove the broom onto the hard ground. It stopped just about a foot above ground. There was a mummy with rim-less glasses, a t-shirt with a black bat with a silver cross on it, a pair of jean pants, and red Reebok sneakers, reading some poetry by Edgar Allen Poe, with his blue and grey striped history note-book on the ground. That was Sabs all right. He had extremely tacky fashion sense.

Then, there was a brown-haired vampire, whose cape was a patch-work of grey, black, blue and brown, had a bow-tie that was tied un-evenly, had a black patch on the left knee of his pants, was wearing brown shoes, and he was wearing a dirty grey tuxedo. He had a lot of bruises and cuts all over his body, even on his grimy face. The vampire also had grey eyes. It was obviously Dury. He was skipping stones across Lake Eire, and he had his raven, Modesty, perched on his right shoulder.

"Hey, Dury!" I greeted, "Hey Sabs!" Sabs stopped reading his book. Dury looked at me.


	5. Chapter 4: At Lake Eire

Dury stopped skipping stones and looked straight at me. Whether he knows it or not, Dury is very handsome, in spite of his tattered clothes and bruises, cuts and handcuffs. "Hi, Liz." he said back.

Sabs shut his poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, opened up his history book, ripped out the last page, grabbed his pencil, and wrote something. He showed me what he wrote. It said 'do you have anything on the PTS 10/13?' Don't forget he's mute.

"Yup." I replied, "I got five pages on it. But what about Dury?" Sabs gave me an upset look. He tore out another clean piece of paper and wrote, 'he told me he doesn't have it. Dury makes this excuse that there's no pencils or papers in his house, and that he can't afford to buy it.' Dury softly smacked his forehead with the palm of his right hand. "For the twelfth time, Sabs, it's true!" he debated with him, "I know a lot about Guillotine Square. I just can't find a piece of paper to write it all down. So, what's up, Liz?"

I knew what to tell them. "I was at the PTS 10/13," I started, "when I saw the Pumpkin King waiting for somebody." But Dury was so interested, he interrupted. "Who was he waiting for?" he asked me abruptly. Sabs rolled his eyes, and wrote to him 'quiet! Let Liz tell us more.' I shifted my eyes from left to right.

"So, anyway," I continued, "I went up to Cairo and asked him who they were waiting for. He said 'they're waiting for some guy called Bonejangles and a friend of his." Sabs was very interested. He wrote 'go on.' I pondered a bit.

"Then, not long after I asked him," I continued, "their train came up. I actually saw Bonejangles. He was a little creepy though, with his under-bite and everything. His friend was actually a girl, and I call her the Corpse Bride, because she was all dressed up like one."

I told them the rest of what happened in the PTS 10/13, even the part where I tripped.

"So now, I'm trying to find out if Lock's a spy, and ways to impress the Corpse Bride." I finished.

"I'm not surprised about Lock at all." Dury said, "He's always pushing me around, and it's all because I'm poor!" Sabs ripped out another clean piece of paper from his note-book, and wrote 'well, at least he's not as bad as his boss. I've been researching him, and he uses gambling machines to torture and kill people.' I knew what Sabs meant.

During the fire, I was entrapped into a barrel and taken to Bloodnut County to join up as one of Oogie's henchmen. I refused to do so, and Valvira heated up a branding iron of a sliver of a moon, and branded me in the wrist. Shock, who was kidnapped along with me, couldn't stand what they were doing to me.

So she sprang out and bit Valvira's arm, and while Oogie was trying to get her off of Val, Shock gestured for me to run away. So, I barely fled, and by the time I was back home in Pumpkinhead County, I was relieved. My brand, better known as a scar, was still on my left wrist, and it really hurts a lot.

We were all under the weeping willow, which was right next to the lake. I wanted to change the subject.

"Sabs, when can we start on our report?" I asked him. Sabs quickly tore out a clean piece of paper and wrote 'how about now? Can you tell us about what you wrote on the PTS 10/13?' I took my history note-book out of my messenger bag, and I flipped to the ninth page where I started my five pages on the PTS 10/13.

"Dury, if you want, you could dictate and I could write it down." I offered to him. Dury's raven, Modesty, flew right towards me, and picked up my pencil with her beak, and a spare note-pad I had in my messenger bag with her claws. She flew towards Dury with them, and after dropping them right in front of him, she perched on his shoulder again.

"I like the offer," Dury replied, "But no thanks. I should be writing it myself." Just when he was about to write, he spotted his watch. It was 6:30 pm! "Oh no!" he cried out, "My dad's gonna kill me!" He picked up my note-pad and pencil, and he rushed right out of Lake Eire, with Modesty flying right behind him.

Dury didn't like being past curfew. It's because it's one of the reasons his dad beats him up. The other reasons are because he tries to stop his fighting with his mom, and it's because Dury was trying to defend his mom.

I don't blame him at all, because his dad was acting like this ever since the death of his younger sister, who had the same name as his raven. He had Modesty as a consolation gift after his sister's death. It's probably because of grief his dad's beating him up.

Sabs was confused for the first time in his life. He tore out a piece of paper, and wrote 'what was that all about?' I looked at Sabs.

"Isn't it obvious?" I said to him, "Dury is probably getting beat-up by his dad right now. Just look at how fast Dury ran!" Yes, Dury was gone in a flash.

He was a really fast vampire. One time at Gym, he outran the whole class at the race-track. As usual, Gav was one of the kids to be the last few people to cross the finish-line.

I'm not surprised whatsoever, because even though Gav might be popular for his hideous looks, he was fat. I tell him again and again to lose weight, but he never listens to me.

Well, anyway, I opened up my messenger bag, and I let Slyther out. "Looksssssssss like there'sssssssssss a good hunt tonight." he said as he sniffed around Lake Eire. There's a whole lot of rats and mice to go around this place. It's practically infested with mice.

Anyway, I knew I should follow Dury. With his pace, I would need the Odyssey 3000.

Sabs knew what I was up to. He ripped out a piece of paper, and wrote, 'Liz, are you out of your mind! What if Dury suspects? Not only will you lose a friend, but you'll also face charges of stalking!' I whistled for the Odyssey 3000.

"It's better than letting him get hurt every night." I retorted, "What if he dies this time?" Sabs shook his head, ripped out a piece of paper, and wrote to me, 'I guess you have a point. But it's still stalking!' By the time I read the last sentence he wrote, I was already on my broom.

"Slyther, follow me to Guillotine Square and if there's anything suspicious, I'll go down, okay?" Slyther was beginning to agree with Sabs. "I trusssssssst you know the consequencesssssssss of what you're doing." he said to me. I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, Slyther." I said, "We won't get caught." I put my messenger bag on the floor, and Slyther slithered inside. "Follow Dury to his house, Odyssey!" I commanded, and I went off really fast. I hope this works.


	6. Chapter 5: Stalking Dury

Author's Note: The reason why this story has a T-rating is because of the language. God (in the prologue), damn (in chapter 2), and bastard (in this chapter) are among those bad words, and it's also rated for the violence in this chapter and later chapters as well. Once again, I don't have any rights to The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Corpse Bride, so don't go reporting against me. The only rights I own are for the characters I created myself, and any items like the Odyssey 3000. So, read on!

Slyther and I were up in the sky, leaving a protesting Sabs behind. I was two miles above ground now, and he already looks like an ant on the ground. I headed west, the direction where Guillotine Square was. Right below me, was Dury, who was running right below me. He may not be able to see me up there, but even though he might be far below me, I could see Dury ripped the watch off his wrist, leaving it on the ground, and turned into a brown bat, flying the rest of the way.

I don't blame him. He doesn't want anyone to know he has anything modern with him.

Well, anyway, Guillotine Square came in sight. The street had a guillotine and a fountain in the middle, and some old, ramshackle houses. But the house that needed the most repairs was a two-room shack with a huge attic. I paid attention to Guillotine Square so much, I didn't see where I was going, and a huge tree was right in front of me.

"Odyssey, we're gonna crash!" I shouted softly so Dury won't hear me. But I said it too late. _CRASH!_ The Odyssey 3000 was stuck in the branches of the hanging tree. It was called that because there were a bunch of skeletons hanging on the branches. The tree was now glaring at me. "Sorry." I said, quickly, blushing and having a look of embarrassment on my face. "Then you'd better get off." the tree said hotly. "Yeah, get off!" the hanging skeletons were shouting, "You're shaking us like mad!"

I carefully climbed down the tree's bark and branches, but I didn't come down quick enough. The tree shook me off, and I landed on the cobble-stone streets with a soft _thud_. It was painful, but I didn't say anything. I didn't want Dury to find out I was following him.

Now to get out my invisibility potion! I rummaged through my messenger bag. I got out a potion with violet-colored water. That was the invisibility potion. I drank it down. I didn't feel any changes. I rummaged again through my messenger bag for a hand mirror. I couldn't see myself! It's working!

I continued following Dury by running after his bat-like form. He wasn't looking back anyway, so why should I worry about that? Anyway, I was running so fast, I didn't know I was running into the Corpse Bride, who didn't even see me. _Oof!_ The Corpse Bride and I were both on the floor now.

"Sorry about that." I said. "That's okay." she replied, getting up and brushing off her dress, "I didn't see you coming. Do you have an invisibility potion?" "Yes I do." I replied, "But I'm doing this for a reason. I'm worried about someone I know and the only way I can know is there's nothing to worry about is by following him home." But the Corpse Bride, like Slyther and Sabs, didn't like that idea.

"I'm afraid it's not good to do that, she said, shaking her head left to right. Anybody who was watching us right now might think the Corpse Bride was talking to herself, but craziness is a normal thing in Halloweentown. "But what if he really is being beat up every night!" I argued. That was where the Corpse Bride gave in. "All right." she said with a sigh, "I might help you." I gave her the potion, and like me, she became invisible. "Let's try to catch up with him now." I said.

We didn't have to follow any longer. Dury's house was the two-room shack that needed the most repairs. He walked in, panting and tired, not knowing that we were walking right behind him.

"I don't think it's going to work out good." said a worried Corpse Bride to me. I turned my head toward hers. "We're invisible." I said, "Nobody can see us."

Dury turned into his normal form, looked back, and he had a scared look on his face. "Dad, please don't be drunk, please don't be drunk." he was muttering to himself worriedly as he opened the door. We followed him right in.

When Dury closed the door, we could see an angry vampire with a horribly tied neck-tie, a really dirty fur-coat, even dirtier clothes, rotting teeth, jet black knitted gloves without fingers, dark brown eyes that were almost black, a top-hat that has a top that looked like a top of a can that's just opened, and his shoes that are showing his toes. All of us in Halloweentown know him as Tennes the drunken bastard, since 2001, the year Modesty (I mean Dury's sister) died. His real name was Tennessee Linehold. I knew Dury had a fearful look on his face.

Tennes slapped Dury right across the face. It looked very painful. "Where were ye!" he demanded loudly and angrily. I hate it when Tennes talked. Not only were his teeth rotten, but his breath smelled gross, like throw-up or beer. Dury was rubbing his left cheek, the place where he's been hit. "I told you before, dad" he said with his voice quivering, "I was with Sabs and Liz, working on our report at Lake Eire." But apparently, Tennes wasn't listening to a single word Dury was saying.

He punched Dury in the lower jaw, knocking him down to the splintery, unfurnished wooden floor, and he punched him in the chest. Blood was coming right out of the knocked out Dury's mouth!

"That miserable bastard!" I shouted quietly, mad at what I saw, "I'm going to beat up that son of a-" but the Corpse Bride covered up my mouth, and the rest of what I was going to say was muffled up. "Now I believe you." the Corpse Bride said, turning away from the action. Just when Tennes was about to kick Dury, Mrs. Linehold came right in.

Mrs. Linehold was a female vampire with a dark-blue bonnet (with a white patch in the middle), grey eyes like Dury's and black hair, a dress fit for a peasant, sandals, and a black shawl. She saw an unconscious Dury on the floor, with blood coming out of his mouth.

"Tennes, what're you doing to him!" she shouted at Tennes, shocked and angry. "Givin' Dury 'is just desserts for comin' 'ome late, Bernie!" he retorted. "Well, he wouldn't have been late if he had a watch, and he would've had one if you didn't squander all of your work money!" she shouted at him. Tennes turned toward her. Good thing we're invisible. If we weren't, Tennes would've caught us and tossed us out.

Anyway, there was an angry look in Tennes's eyes. "I don't squander me pickins!" he yelled back. "Don't you go lyin' to me!" Mrs. Linehold argued back. They were walking into the kitchen now, and the Corpse Bride and I followed them inside. "You say you don't squander your work money." she said to him coolly, "Whenever it's payday, what do you spend your wages on!" She jerked open a kitchen cupboard.

It was completely full of all sorts of liquor! He had beer, ale, wine, champagne, vodka, tequila, and pretty much other types of liquor, and all of them were illegal in Halloweentown! "What do me drinks 'ave anythin' to do with me money!" he shouted at her. "It's what you spend all your money on, that's what!" she screamed at him, tossing a full bottle of rum over his head. Tennes ducked just when it was an inch away from his fore-head. "And now, thanks to your drinks," Mrs. Linehold continued, "you beat up Dury and pretty much other halloweentowners as well!"

The Corpse Bride began ushering me outside. "I guess we've pretty much seen enough." she said, looking back. Now, Dury's parents were fighting physically, with Mrs. Linehold biting him, and Tennes ripping off her bonnet and yanking her hair.

By the time we were out, I was searching my messenger bag for a blue-colored potion I called an antidote. "I knew it!" I cried out as I was searching my messenger bag for the antidote, "I knew Tennes was beating up Dury all along!" I found the antidote, and the Corpse Bride and I both drank it.

"So, what's your name?" the Corpse Bride asked me when we were back to normal. I looked her straight in the eyes. "My name's Elizabeth McMonster, but the adults call me Eliza, and my friends call me Liz." I whistled for the Odyssey 3000. "Take me home, Odyssey." I told my broom as I mounted it, and just like that, I left the Corpse Bride behind.


	7. Chapter 6: At Jekyll High

"Author's Note: This chapter introduces another one of the bad guys in this story. This one may look pretty, but she's a teenage, pampered snob. Her name is Jenny Monoxide. Follow along if you want to know a little more about her role in this story. Once again, I don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Corpse Bride, so please don't accuse me of theft or plagiarism!"

The next day, at school, I was sitting next to Sabs at lunch, eating Spider-Web Spaghetti for lunch. Gav always sat the popular table, and Dury wasn't at school today.

It's because Mr. Frightenburg (me and Dury's teacher) said 'Dury had a nasty fall down the stairs.' I knew Dury had a ladder to his bedroom, which was in the attic, but I know the truth about why he didn't come in. He didn't fall down the stairs. He doesn't even have stairs! He was being beaten up by his dad.

'This is very scaralicious!' Sabs wrote to me when he tasted the spider-web spaghetti. Personally, I think scaralicious was a cheesy way of describing something good. Only nerds in Halloweentown say that. But Sabs is a nerd, so I shouldn't complain.

I bit my lip. I want to tell him about what I saw the other night, but I don't want to have Dury sent away. "Umm...You remember yesterday, when I left you to follow Dury?" I asked him, nervously. 'Yeah, why do you ask?' he replied in his writing. I scratched my head.

"Well, I followed Dury home while I was invisible, and guess who joined me?" I said. He wrote 'don't tell me. The Corpse Bride joined you.' "Exactly." I continued, "Well, anyway, my hunch about Dury getting beat-up was right. I saw Mr. Linehold beat him up just for coming home late, and he had rum and beer and ale and all other drinks! _Now_ do you believe me?"

Sabs reluctantly wrote 'I guess you're right all along about Dury. But I'd like to ask this about the Corpse Bride. Is she pretty?'

I gave Sabs a frightened look. "This is _serious_, Sabs!" I argued with him, "If anyone nosy hears that, we'll lose Dury!" God, it really reminds me of the song, Bring Me to Life by Evanescence. It's a really huge cry for help!

His joking expression changed to a really grave one. He wrote, 'I know he'll be moved somewhere else, but I never thought it could be _that_ urgent!'

Just when he wrote that, we heard a huge, nasty sound of really sharp nails scratching a black board over the speaker. "Attention students of Jekyll High." our principal, Ms. Nightsky (a twenty-six year old witch), announced over the speaker, "I have a special announcement. We have two new music teachers in this school. They just came to Halloweentown yesterday, so I want you to be at your best behavior and make a really good first impression, and that goes to Gavin Quarry as well."

I knew who the two new music teachers are. They must be Bonejangles and the Corpse Bride!

I nudged Sabs in the gut. "I think you're going to able to find out about the Corpse Bride soon, Sabs." I told him. Music was right after lunch. I'd like to meet the Corpse Bride again, but Bonejangles!

I didn't like him since he looked a bit weird and creepy. Just look at him! He has a really, really huge under bite. I'm surprised he was even able to eat with his jaw like that! Maybe he's not as crazy as he looks. But I'm afraid I might be wrong.

"Hi, guys." I heard someone say. Sabs and I turned around. Dury's was right behind me! Oh, I hope he didn't hear what we were talking about.

"Dury!" I said, surprised and shocked, "You scared me!" Yes, Dury was now here in front of me. Somehow, he must've been taken to school, went to the nurse's office, and was given a late slip. Dury had a black eye on his right, and his left palm was all wrapped in white strips.

"Sorry about that." he said, "In case you're wondering why I have a black eye, I accidentally fell out of my room. It's in the attic, you know." Yeah, right! I saw the whole thing! He didn't fall out of his room. He was getting beat up by his dad!

Anyway, Dury sat right next to me. "Am I going mad?" he asked me, "I thought I was hearing voices yesterday. One of those voices must've been ticked off or something." I looked around the cafeteria. "Nope," I replied, "You're not going mad at all."

Just then, I heard a screech of a cat. It was the school bell, signaling the end of a class period, or lunch. I picked up my messenger bag, and the three of us started walking out of the cafeteria and into the hallway.

The hallway had white walls with actual webs (with ink and tar splattered all over the spiders and webs) all over them; the floor was so black you couldn't tell if there was a hole in them, and the ceiling was red with blood. No, really, it was. It was dropping on the floor with it. Like a typical high school, there were class rooms, doors and lockers on the sides. But this place was so creepy, you'd scream and faint the moment you see it.

The music room, also known as Room 127, was right at the end of the hall. Sabs was holding his music book, and Dury looked behind. Some other students had Music after lunch too. But I wish Jenny Monoxide wasn't at this class!

Jenny Monoxide was a vampire with golden blonde hair that was curly and half waist long, ruby lips, snow-white skin, bright-green eyes, the perfect complexion, perfectly shaped vampire teeth, a.k.a fangs, and the perfectly shaped nails.

But although she looked pretty, she was a spoiled, teenage snob who only hangs out with any handsome, rich, and popular guys. Today, she was wearing a blood-red spaghetti strap tank top with a black mini skirt, nails painted maroon, golden bangles, earrings with amethyst stones, a choker with diamonds around her neck, and a couple of black, high heeled sandals. She turned her head away from me, in a snobbish way. "I trust you were able to find green powder for that ghastly skin of yours." she said to me sourly.

Vampires have a really old fashioned way of speaking. Usually, they used fancy words, and they spoke like wealthy, refined people from the seventeenth century do. They use it so much; it makes me sick just listening to them. But my brother Jake or Dury or anybody in Dury's family didn't speak that way. Jake, Dury, Modesty (she's dead now), and Mrs. Linehold spoke normally, while Tennes spoke with a fluent cockney accent.

Anyway, my face turned tomato red. I feel like choking Jenny to death in front of everybody.

"My skin's just as white as yours!" I shouted at her, my anger going to full blast really fast, "And no one even makes green skin powder. You're as dumb as a rock!" Nobody's able to power their whole skin anyway, and nobody ever talked to the daughter of Kenneth Monoxide before!

Jenny tried to look as dignified and refined as possible. "I do not listen to the petty insults and complaints of commoners," she said in a dignified and disgusted tone, "They are filthy, low life ruffians!" First of all, I'm not poor. Abby and I live with Uncle Mark, who was rich. And second of all, I'm not filthy! I just took a shower this morning!

"Well, you're pampered so much; you won't be able to scare anybody at all!" I shouted right at her. The next thing I knew, Jenny and I were shouting at each other. It was a fight to end all fights. No, I'm not talking about the type of fights in which we use weapons or hands. It was completely shouting.

In fact, my fight with Jenny must've been so bad, Sabs wrote 'oh, brother. Why do girls always fight?', and softly slapped himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand.

Suddenly, I heard piano music coming from the music room. It must've been Piano Sonata No. 11 in A minor ("Alla Turca") K. 331 (K. 300i) - Rondo all turca by Mozart. I stopped shouting and I listened. I looked at the door of the music room. Dury wasn't there! I opened the door, and I found an amazing sight at the grand piano!


	8. Chapter 7: Chaos in Music Class

"Author's Note: I personally think this is one of my favorite parts in the book. But when I finish the next chapter, watch out, because for the two chapters after this chapter, it'll be third person point of view. As I had said before, I own no rights to anyone from Corpse Bride or Nightmare Before Christmas, except my original characters and items, and a Jack doll anda Corpse Bride sweat jacket."

Dury and the Corpse Bride were playing a duet on the grand piano! _Hmm…..how did they meet up anyway?_ But I didn't ask that. Instead, I clapped a little. Dury turned around, and he saw me. The poor guy blushed. The Corpse Bride got up from the grand piano. "I see you've heard our duet." she said, "Mozart really is inspiring, isn't he?" I looked straight at them. "Sorry if I disturbed you." I said, "We have music classes now, right?"

Everyone else walked into Room 127 and took their instruments. "Dury," I continued, picking up a guitar case and going to sit down, "I thought your hand was in pain. You can't play pianos with painful hands, right?" Dury thought it over. "Not really." he answered, "It actually doesn't hurt that bad. So I used both of my hands. I'm lucky they weren't broken!"

I play the guitar, Dury plays the piano, Gav plays the drums, and Sabs plays the clarinet. Unfortunately, poor Sabs has to sit next to Jenny, who plays the flute. He has to cover his ears when she plays, a perfect example of how words aren't enough to explain some things. Well, at least I'm lucky I'm not sitting next to her.

Clarinets sit with flutes, guitars sit with violins, and violins sit next to cellos, and so on. But the drums and the pianist are all by themselves. I don't know why, but that's how the orchestra system works in Halloweentown. Does it work like that everywhere else? I don't know, but I might ask some people about it-eventually. But now is not the time.

I sat right next to Tyler McMonster, my step-cousin, who played the violin. Tyler was a straight-laced vampire who was able to impress everybody. He's a year older than me. What a kiss-up! He's also the teacher's pet, and Tyler wants everything to be perfect, even me. Why? It's because Uncle Mark makes a huge issue out of the way I act. "You have to learn proper etiquette!" he says to me, "I do not mind the fact you are a tom-boy, but I want you to behave yourself." Yes, that's what he constantly says to me.

Anyway, about Tyler….he dressed up Victorian style. He had his black hair slicked back, a black Victorian outfit (it looked somewhat like a tux), white skin, and sapphire blue eyes. My eyes are bluish grey. My hair looked screwed up compared to Tyler's. Sure enough, if I didn't wear a witch's hat, I would be a vampire like Tyler, and everyone would ask to look into my mouth for a set of vampire fangs. Yes, that happened to me one time when I was eleven.

I was walking home from Ghostly Middle School, and I decided to take off my witch's hat. Just then, Russie saw me.

Russie's real name was Russell Howie, but she likes Russie better. She's a were-wolf who's a hill-billy from Moonlight Hill. She said "You're in the wrong clothes. You're supposed to be a vampire!" I looked at her in surprise. "Me?" I said back to her, "I'm not a vampire." "Sure you are!" Russie argued, "You've got white skin! Can I see your mouth for a sec?"

This is where things got really hairy. "Why look into my mouth!" I protested, "I'm a witch, not a vampire, okay! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!" But Russie jerked my mouth open, seeing that my incisors are normal sized. The incisors of a vampire's are very large. "Nope, no set of fangs." she said shaking her head. She clamped my jaw closed, and walked away with the shot gun on her back. Talk about being rude and stupid! She didn't even say sorry for giving me a hard time! But I really must go back to this story.

Anyway, I looked straight at Tyler. "So, what do you think about the Corpse Bride?" I asked him. "She looks really pretty." he replied, "I knew I forgot _something_! It was a bouquet of blood red roses! Thanks for reminding me Liz!" See what I mean by teacher's pet? But Tyler didn't rush out of the classroom.

He just quietly stayed there, ready for the instructions from the Corpse Bride. As soon as everybody was in their seats, the Corpse Bride got up from the piano. "Good afternoon, class." she said in greeting, trying to be as polite and nice as possible. "Good afternoon mademoiselle." Tyler said back. Okay, I'll admit it. Tyler is one of the most well mannered boys in Jekyll High.

"My name is Emily Golden. You may call me the Corpse Bride or Ms. Golden if you want." she continued, "Today, I'd like to introduce a new form of music to this music program. I see some of you are really used to classical music. It's my personal favorite, but seeing that everybody has different musical taste…" Please let it be rock, please let it rock! "I'm happy to announce that we now have an after school program of Jazz!" I could hear some groans coming around the class, but also some people shouting quietly "yes", but I was amongst the people groaning.

I mean, who listens to or plays Jazz music anymore! Only Jazz fanatics do that. But knowing Tyler, he'd never go for Jazz class. "It's too loud and obnoxious for me to even listen." he once told me. "Mr. Bonejangles will be teaching Jazz, and I will teach classical music. So, without further ado, I'd like you to meet Bonejangles!" That's where everybody started clapping and Bonejangles walked into the room.

My heart dropped to the floor. That weirdo was going to teach Jazz after school. Is he who I really think he is? Who really knows anymore? Looks could sometimes be deceiving. "I see we got some hepcats in this class." he said, looking around. What Bonejangles just said was true. There were some 'hepcats' in this class. Hepcats were huge fans of Jazz. They practically listen to it 24/7.

"I'd better get a sign up sheet right away." he said, coming out of the room. At least I've only seen him for a couple of seconds. "While Bonejangles get the sign up sheet for Jazz, we can start the lesson." the Corpse Bride said, "Today we are working on Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen. It's a tale about a gypsy who wins the heart of a captain of the guard. We will be doing the Habanera, which is one of the songs from Carmen. Does anyone know what a habanera is?"

A couple of hands shot up. Amongst those hands were Tyler and Dury's hands. They must really like the Corpse Bride a lot! She picked on Tyler. "The habanera is a slow form of dance that originated from Cuba." he explained. What a teacher's pet, I thought. Just like I've said about Tyler before, he's a major kiss up. "Excellent!" she replied, taking the answer, "First, I'll have each person play the Habanera individually. Then, we'll do it all together, starting with Dury the pianist."

That's odd, I thought. None of our teachers called him Dury before. I always thought all the teachers called him Durance in front of the class. I personally don't like that name, and Dury doesn't like it either. But anyway, Dury had played the Habanera with passion, and the whole song had absolutely no flaws in it whatsoever. It's like Dury had magic fingers that can play song beautifully. "Beautiful piano playing, Dury!" she complimented to him.

Then she picked on me to play the Habanera. I did a couple of mistakes in the middle and the end, but otherwise, it sounded great. "Nice work, Eliza," she said to me, "but I would suggest you work a little bit on the passion and the chords in the middle of the songs. Otherwise, it sounds good." I took it as a compliment. Besides, it's not everyday somebody compliments you on what you do. She called on Tyler, Sabs, and Gav.

Gav didn't sound perfect, but what do you expect from somebody who plays the drums? Sabs sounded like a warbler playing the clarinet. Plus Tyler worked so hard on playing the Habanera on the violin, that he sounded flawless, but not as flawless as Dury. Then, this is where the tide turned. "It's your turn, to play now, Jenny." the Corpse Bride said to her. Jenny whispered something harsh to me, "You are looking at one of the greatest musicians in this class!" she whispered, "In fact, Icould play better than you, your cousin, and Dury combined!" What a prima donna! I have to tell you that Jenny sounded like a screeching cat for the whole song. Even worse, she insisted on playing the song over and over _and_ over again! "Am I going deaf!" Gav shouted, covering up his ears, "This girl's the worst musician ever!" Dury couldn't stand her flute playing either, so he tried to play some loud, yet lovely, songs on the piano to block Jenny out, but it was no use. Everyone except Dury had to cover their ears from Jenny's playing.

It's bad enough Bonejangles's one of my music teachers, but Jenny playing all these instruments! I was ready to pull my hair out. But I knew when you can't get mad, you get even.

An idea sparked in my mind. I'll scare that rat out of class! So I discreetly opened my messenger bag and looked straight at Slyther.

He noticed the sly, slick grin I have on my face whenever I wanted some mischief. "Lissssssssssssss, what are you doing?" he hissed nervously. "How would you like to look around this place?" I asked him, trying to be as discreet as possible. Slyther shook his head. "I've already sssssssseen thisssssss place a thousssssand timessssssss." he replied, "So, why should I look around here again?" "Listen for yourself." I told him. Slyther heard the rough screeching sound of Jenny playing the flute. It was so horrible, not even a maggot would come and listen to it. "Alright, I'll do it jussssssst to get rid of thisssssss horrid ssssssssound." Yes! I thought. I knew I was able to talk him into it, but I nearly forgot that Sabs had excellent hearing.

He heard what Slyther was saying, and wrote out 'Watch out! She's releasing Slyther', but almost everyone in Room 127 was too busy covering up their ears from the horrible playing of Jenny to pay attention. Even poor Sabs had to drop the scrap of paper and cover up his ears.

I knelt down next to my chair, turned back, set my messenger bag down, and released Slyther. Slyther looked all over the music room. Since he was on the floor, he didn't have a clear view of things. All he could see were legs and feet, and Slyther was careful enough to keep from being noticed or crushed.

He saw a pair of white-skinned legs. He hissed, showing his fangs. It turned out that the pair of legs belonged to Jenny, who was trying to recite the flute without success, and she noticed him right away. "Eeeeeeeeeeek, a boa constrictor! There is a boa constrictor in the music room!" she screamed in fright, dropping her flute to the floor, rushing out of her seat, and running right out of Room 127.

All the other girls who were sitting with Jenny had just noticed Slyther too, their eyes growing really wide with fright. "Tempt not a dessssssssssperate ssssssssssssssssnake." he said menacingly. "AIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" they screamed, dropping their instruments and running right behind Jenny. Some of the girls fainted too, but some of them were willing to stay. Some boys had now noticed Slyther. Some of them were scared enough to scream, faint, or run out of the classroom, but some boys were willing to try to _squish_ Slyther! Gav, who never knew that I owned a snake, had tried to bash Slyther on the head with one of his drumsticks. "Get back here, demon snake!" he shouted at him. Fortunately, he lost him through the flurry of feet.

Dury was playing the piano, not paying attention to the chaos that was going on. Slyther then slithered right to the front row. Oh my god! He's going to scare the whole class out! The Corpse Bride was desperately trying to calm everybody down. "Everyone, please!" she pleaded, trying to calm the class down, "If we remain calm, the snake might leave!" Tyler looked down, and saw Slyther at her heels. "Even when he's right at your feet, Ms. Golden?" Tyler asked, turning alarmed. The Corpse Bride looked down.

Slyther revealed his long sharp fangs. A look of alarm went straight across her face. She backed away from him, but she accidentally fell from bumping into the piano seat, and both Dury and the Corpse Bride were knocked down. Dury looked around the room with wide eyes. "What's going on around here!" he asked, looking at the chaos in the Room 127. So _now_ he sees what's going on!

Right outside the room, Bonejangles heard the chaos. He rushed into Room 127, a clipboard with a pen attached to it in his hand. "What the heck's going on here!" he exclaimed, seeing the chaos for himself. Some more students ran right out of the room, but Bonejangles, being the slick guy he is, dodged the scared and frantic students without even getting knocked down.

Tyler had just recognized Slyther, picking him up with his hands, Slyther coiling his body over his arms. Both of them (Slyther and Tyler) gave me a dirty look. I chuckled nervously as I looked around and gulped. Nobody thought what Slyther and I did was funny. Either everyone around me has a look of fright or a dirty look on their faces.

You probably knew what happened after that. If you don't, then let me tell you what happened next: I wound up in the principal's office.

I ran my fingers through my black hair. It wasn't really all that long, it was only shoulder length. I opened up my messenger bag and glared at Slyther. He's the reason why I'm in trouble in the first place! "I never wanted anything to do with thisssss." he hissed at me with a sour tone.

Even though snakes can't move their eyelids or eyebrows (they had neither of those), I could easily tell what Slyther's feeling. He was my pet for about seven years so far. Like I said before, he could sometimes be very harsh. Nevertheless, he only does something outrageous when he needs to.

"At least you're not listening to Jenny playing music right now!" I said to him, "Plus, you wanted her to stop playing, right?" Slyther nodded in agreement. It was all true. Slyther only did this is stop Jenny's flute playing. Just then, the silence (if you don't count the sounds of the typewriter and me and Slyther talking) broke. "Ms. Nightsky can see you now, Miss McMonster." the secretary said. I picked up my messenger bag and walked right in. I wonder what's going on with Lock….


End file.
